


The Truth

by KASYD



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Blind Buddies, Blind Zuko (Avatar), Heavy Angst, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Protective Iroh (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Zuko (Avatar) whump, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko starts out a bit more mature, Zuko's Scar (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:21:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28175328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KASYD/pseuds/KASYD
Summary: Zuko was burnt far worse during the Agni Kai, now he’s blind and a part of Team Avatar, but no one seems aware (besides Toph) of the extents of his scarring.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 32
Kudos: 475





	1. Chapter 1

Tears had streamed down his face as he’d tried to stop his hyperventilating. 

Zuko stared with wide eyes at his approaching father, the man’s hand was aflame. 

“Please father, I am your loyal son.” He had begged. 

“Silence,” Ozai ordered, “You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher.”

And the last thing Zuko saw was the smiling face of his father before he place his hand sideways over Zuko’s crying eyes and lit his face on fire. 

*

It was apparently miracle when Zuko woke up. 

He’d come to consciousness to the feeling of being at sea and the smell of tea heating up. 

Where was he?

But then he remembered, “Father! Please! No!” 

Hands met his and he cried out in fear. 

“Prince Zuko, it’s me, Uncle Iroh. You’ve been unconscious for many months” The owner of the hands reassured. 

“Uncle? What’s happening?! Where are we?! Why can’t I open my eyes?!” Zuko yelled with increasing panic. 

“We’re on a boat Nephew, we were sent on a mission after the Agni Kai, your eyes, your eyes are damaged from the burn.” Uncle Iroh answered sadly. 

“W-what?” Zuko gasped, “My eyes are? I can’t see anymore?”

“I’m so sorry Zuko.” Uncle Iroh murmured. 

Uncle Iroh said nothing as Zuko began to sob, no tears came, how could they when he had no eyes?

Later he asked his Uncle, “What does it look like, is it that bad?“

Zuko knew it was bad, he just needed to hear it from someone who could see it. 

Uncle was not one to lie, “It’s a brutal scar that covers the top of your face. It’s far better than the first months of you having it.”

He cringed at the thought of the wound fresh, “What happened while I was unconscious?” 

“Well your burn got infected, its Agni’s blessing that it didn’t have any other permanent affects.” Uncle Iroh answered, sort of.

“You’re avoiding answering my main question, Uncle.” Zuko pressed agitatedly, his burn was beginning to throb as his painkillers wore off. 

“I apologize Nephew but I’m unsure if you’re in a good state to—“

“Just tell me!” He yelled in frustration, “I can take it! I just need to know where to go from here!” 

“Of course, Zuko you were banished from the Fire Nation. Only when you find the Avatar and bring him back to the Firelord will your banishment be uplifted.” Uncle Iroh told Zuko.

Zuko wilted with the information, “Uncle, I’d like to be alone if that’s all right.”

“Of course Prince Zuko, rest well.” Uncle wished as he left Zuko. 

Only when Uncle left did Zuko start to sob again, he was blind, banished, and was sent on a mission he wasn’t meant to complete. 

The Avatar hadn’t been seen in a 100 years, there was no way Zuko could find them.

The feeling of his hands heating up brought another thought to the forefront of his mind. 

How was he going to fight?

What kind of fire bending could he do while blind?

If he was weak before, what was he now?

*

It took another month before Zuko was allowed to get out of bed.

When he’d gotten up it had felt like his world had tilted, he was in void of darkness where everything around him was unknown, he was quite literally in the dark. 

“Come Nephew, let’s get some fresh air.” Uncle Iroh gently offered. 

“I can’t Uncle,” Zuko croaked, “I don’t even know where I am, how am I supposed to move around?”

Uncle thought for a moment before he created a flame in his hand, Zuko flinched away and Iroh felt his heart shrivel. 

“I would never harm you Nephew, I swear on Agni.” Uncle Iroh swore as he tried to calm his freaked out nephew. 

“I merely have a hypothesis about how you could get used to your new state.” Uncle continued, “Could you sense the heat that my bending gave off?”

Zuko scoffed, “Of course I could, you’re a fire bender, you give off heat like crazy.”

“That’s a great place to start, here let’s try something.” Uncle Iroh said, moving from Zuko’s side, “I’m going to move around and you tell me where in the room I am.”

Zuko nodded and focused all his attention on following the heat presence that he now thought of as Uncle. 

He watched it move from his side of the bed to in front of the door. 

“You’re in front of the door.” Zuko said.

“That’s right!” Uncle Iroh cheered excitedly, “And I know that’s a huge step up but let’s try walking with me in front and you following my heat.”

It sounded hard, but it would be great progress to accomplish so of course Zuko wanted to try. 

He felt Uncle’s heat leave the room and took a few shaky steps in the direction he felt it move. 

Anxiety spiked when he reached the door but he determinedly followed the slowly moving heat signature he knew was Uncle’s. 

Zuko was so focused on following that he didn’t even notice they were on the deck until a huge breeze of air hit him.

“I did it Uncle.” He celebrated, embracing the man. 

“I’m so proud of you Nephew, let’s keep practicing this, okay?” Uncle asked as he hugged him back. 

*

It was years later when Zuko sailed his ship through the Southern waters where he would first find the Avatar. 

Almost a year after his Agni Kai with the practice Uncle provided him with he was able to move and bend “better than any seeing person” as Uncle would say, of course that wasn’t completely true but Zuko on his own also found new ways to make up for his shortcomings. 

He wore sole-less boots that allowed him to sense approaching heat through the floor and purchased multiple face covers so his blindness wouldn’t be known of. 

On his own he also recalled his old sword master’s lessons and practiced using his Dao swords, he also incorporated his bending into his fighting so that he could light the swords aflame, doing so he could sense the exact position of his opponent and their swords after the remnants of his fire met his swords after they drew away. 

He’d come such a long way that he was sometimes angry with himself when he found that he flinched from sudden heat near his face.

Uncle told him that it was normal and that trauma wasn’t something that went away easily, but Zuko refused to believe that it was trauma he was experiencing, what kind of prince would he be if he was traumatized?

His years in exile were spent traveling to all the kingdoms and learning all he could about the Avatar, after much of his research he was determined to find them.

Zuko was stronger than ever and he needed to prove that to the Firelord. 

He had been meditating on the deck of the boat practicing his breath of fire when he’d sensed it, a beacon of heat in the middle of the icey ocean. 

That was no normal occurrence. 

“Set sail towards that beacon.” He had loudly ordered. 

He secured his helmet over his head and prepared for them to reach land, the mask had been specially made so that his “eyes” would remain hidden no matter the angle, to anyone in his way he’d be a strong and worthy opponent.

Zuko stepped down the ramp of the ship and began what would be one of the many attempts to capture the Avatar he was forced to seek.


	2. Chapter 2

His first attempt to capture the Avatar was a failure, he’d caught him, had had him in his hands, but he’d been taken by 2 water tribe kids and a Flying Bison, an animal Zuko had only ever dreamed of seeing. 

The Avatar had escaped but Zuko couldn’t quit, he’d sobbed himself to sleep for weeks after waking up because he knew the Avatar wasn’t even alive, but now he was and Zuko wasn’t letting him go anytime soon. 

They had been tracking down the Bison for a week when a new problem arose when been forced to dock to make repairs.

“Zhao.” Zuko growled at the man at the coming up the ramp of their boat. 

“Ah, Zuko.” Zhao smiled demeaningly. 

“That’s Prince Zuko to you!” He barked at the disrespectful man. 

“Sure, I’ve heard you’ve had sucess in your search for the Avatar, care to share you findings with me?” Zhao asked. 

Zuko was about to spit in his face when Uncle Iroh appeared to diffuse the tension, “Zhao! It’s been so long. Have you gotten that promotion yet?” 

Zuko snickered internally at Uncle’s jab.

“General Iroh, no, I can’t say I have. I heard that you and your nephew found the Avatar, you’ve been searching for years haven’t you? I’m quite surprised you let him get away.” Zhao pressed with a smug smile.

“Well—“ Zuko began to protest. 

“Prince Zuko, why don’t you go practice your training.” Uncle Iroh requested. 

He was giving Zuko a gateway out, Zuko shouldn’t take it but he couldn’t help himself, “Sure.”

Zuko turned to walk away but Zhao said, “No amount of training could prepare you to face the Avatar, your Agni Kai was proof enough that you’ll never be nothing more than a mistake to the Firelord. And being blind definitely doesn’t help, does it?” 

Zuko froze, a shiver of horror ran up and down his spine, of course Zhao knew. 

Everyone who’d watched the Agni Kai knew that Zuko’s eyes were as good as gone when they were set aflame. 

“Zhao,” He replied, turning to the man, “I challenge you to an Agni Kai for disrespecting me.”

A strange feeling filled Zuko when he said the word disrespect. 

A smile rose on Zhao’s face, “I accept.”

*

The wind was strong and Zuko felt his inner flame rise with the anticipation of the coming fight. 

He knelt with his back to Zhao, waiting for the gong that would start the Agni Kai.

A memory of Uncle’s first piece of advice came to mind as Zuko decided that he would not loose, ‘Create a steady root, feet steady on the ground not only will help you locate your opponent but keep you balanced.’

The gong was struck and Zuko stood, turning to the direction he knew Zhao was, Zuko could faintly hear him say, “This will be over quickly.”

Zuko refused to let him win. 

They approached each other with their hands held at the ready, Zuko was the first to light a flame as he threw a punch of fire towards the heat source he knew was Zhao. 

Zuko sensed him side step it and threw 2 more punches of fire at him to no avail. 

He tried a kick which was blocked again before Zhao shot back with a wave of fire that Zuko snuffed out. 

Zuko let out a yell and threw a kick of fire at him to no avail once again. 

This was getting no where!

Then Zhao did something that threw Zuko off completely, he shot punches of fire, not at him, but at the ground.

He was masking his heat signature, it was smart, but Zuko was trained enough to know fire from body heat. 

Zuko knew that his root was steady, but was Zhao’s? 

He was suddenly attacked with a onslaught of kicks and punches of fire from Zhao, Zuko blocked each one but Zhao got one lucky hit in and Zuko found himself thrown back onto his back.

Zuko focused on locating Zhao and panicked when he sensed him in the air right above him. 

Zhao landed at Zuko’s feet and he could feel the spark of flames near his face, no, not again, no more. 

He may have landed near Zuko but he hadn’t landed stably, in fear and determination Zuko threw a snap kick to the side of Zhao’s ankles which made him crumble to the floor. 

Zuko jumped up and shot fire at Zhao which the man repeatedly blocked. 

Ha!

Now he was the one attack, Zhao was the one burning—

Zuko recalled the misery he’d felt after the Agni Kai, the years after, the present. He couldn’t inflict that agony upon someone else. 

To finish the Agni Kai Zuko shot a final blast of fire a inch from Zhao’s face. 

“Your father raised a coward.” Zhao hissed. 

Zuko said nothing but then mentioned, “Your sideburn is on fire.”

He turned his back on the man and began his walk towards Uncle, he’d used Uncle’s teaching and was excited to tell him. 

A wave of heat approaching him made Zuko whip around in suprise only for the incoming fire to disapate in the hands of a heat signature he knew as Uncle Iroh. 

Zuko sensed the impact as Zhao hit the ground a few yards away. 

“So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in the face of defeat, how dishonorable. My nephew has more honor than you while in banishment.” Uncle Iroh said. 

“Come Zuko, let’s celebrate your victory.” Uncle gently said to Zuko who was still wound up with adrenaline. 

As they walked back Uncle suddenly let out a hearty laugh, “Zhao’s sideburn’s aren’t even anymore!” 

Zuko found himself snickering at the image he made in his mind.

“You definitely proved your honor, Prince Zuko.” Uncle stated proudly. 

Zuko’s face fell, he didn’t believe his Uncle. 

“The only person who can give me my honor is Father.” Zuko protested. 

Silence filled their walk. 

“But thank you for thinking that.” He added with a soft smile. 

They stopped by the town to gather what information they could about the Avatar (per Zuko’s request) and when they reached the ship Zuko prepared for them to set sail for Kyoshi Island.


	3. Chapter 3

A lot had happened since Zuko’s second Agni Kai, much (embarrassing) defeat against the Avatar and his friends and a couple close calls, but now Zuko sat on his bed and tracing the surface of his Blue Spirit mask. 

The mask had been one of the final gifts from his mother and though he couldn’t see it anymore he could still picture it’s blue paint and white fangs. 

Zhao had become a menace after the Agni Kai, chasing Zuko into the Fire Nation and attempting to capture the Avatar, capturing the Avatar. 

Zhao had the Avatar in his clutches...Zuko couldn’t allow that. 

Zuko plucked his Dao blades off the wall, perfectly disguised as decoration in his room, and tried to avoid sensing the still warm necklace on the table in front of him. 

He had to admit that he’d felt bad knowing that the necklace meant so much to the girl, but life wasn’t fair. 

Zuko took a deep meditative breath and cleared his head of all distractions then he tied on the Blue Spirit mask and strapped his Dao blades to his back and after not sensing any head signatures on deck, snuck off the ship toward the direction where he knew Zhao’s prison was.

*

The prison had high security and surveillance but Zuko was always up for a challenge. 

With his Dao swords strapped to his back and his Blue Spirit mask securely on he scaled all 3 of the prison’s wall when the guard’s heat signatures were drifting the opposite direction and he used his bare feet to sense any approaching or departing presences. 

Zuko was always one step ahead of the guards with this, when he sensed the first sign of anyone he’d be out of sight (on the ceiling) in seconds. 

The only real challenge was finding where the Avatar was located, the prison had hundreds of cells and Zuko wasn’t sure he’d be able to identify the Avatar from inside a cell if he wasn’t conscious.

But Zuko knew he could always rely on gossiping guards to get information and after listening in on two guards talk about how one the guard guarding the Avatar was he figured out the Avatar’s location based on one of the guard’s questions about the hot guard’s work schedule. 

Alright, he knew where the Avatar was now, thank Agni for hot guards. 

The Avatar was almost easy to find after that and after incapacitating a handful of guards (The one guard they were talking about wasn’t worth gossiping about to be honest) Zuko found himself standing in front of what he guessed was the Avatar’s cell door. 

He heated a single Dao blade and sliced the lock off with no problem then he pushed the door open and hoped he hadn’t freed a random prisoner. 

A smaller heat signature stood in the center of the room, most likely chained up. 

The sound of the figure’s boyish gasp gave the signature’s identity away as the Avatar. 

Zuko heated up both blades and approached the Avatar to cut his chains, the boy screamed so Zuko cut them as quickly as possible so he’d get his motive. 

Then the Avatar was free, which was kind of ironic considering that Zuko was supposed to be capturing him. 

His job was done, Zuko turned away but the Avatar starting calling questions to him, “Who are you? What’s going on? Are you here to rescue me?”

Agni this kid didn’t know the first thing about breaking out of prison, reluctantly Zuko waved for the Avatar to follow him. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The boy said, mainly to himself. 

Now the hard part, getting the Avatar out of the prison. 

Zuko considered what to do, he had a rope dangling undetectedly from the top of the first wall, but there would be plenty go guards at the top of it and on the other side of it, and the two other walls...it was fine, Zuko would deal with it when he had to . 

He gestured towards the rope Zuko climbed up behind the kid they were almost halfway up when the alarm rang, it was almost embarrassing how long it took for them to notice a prisoner was gone. 

But Zuko couldn’t focus on that now because suddenly the rope was being cut by someone at the top of the wall and they were falling. 

There was no heat around him, no floor or wall or anything to stabilize him, during that fall Zuko was truly blind and only felt himself.

Then he was on the floor and with a flare of heat into the ground able to sense the small boy standing next to him and the guards approaching them, there was no time to focus on his previous panic. 

“Follow me!” The Avatar suddenly yelled as he began running straight one direction .

Zuko didn’t know what was over there but he could sense lines of soldiers that direction so Zuko drew his swords and chased after the Avatar, his Uncle had trained him for this, he could do it. 

He heated the air around him and fought off any soldier that got in his way, eventually he caught up to the Avatar and found that they were standing in front of another gate entrance. 

And then he was in the air again, Agni!

Zuko internally cursed in his mother tongue and tried not to let that feeling of blindness take over again. 

He landed with a grunt on top of the wall and held out both of his swords as soldiers ran towards him from both sides of the wall, welp guess this was it! 

But then once again Zuko was suprised by the Avatar as the boy grabbed him and flew them over the edge of the wall. 

This was better, his feet may be dangling but at least he had some idea of what was happening. 

But then he sensed heat signatures flying at them and only barley managed to slice what he guessed was a spear in half before it skewered them, the flailing was too much for the boy to handle though because Zuko found himself falling again, though this time the Avatar cushioned his fall. 

They were at the half way to the second wall when the Avatar grabbed something that slowed him down, what did he have? 

“Grab on!” The boy yelled and Zuko listened only to find himself on the Avatar’s back 30 feet in the air, “Hold this please!” 

Then Zuko was handed a stick of bamboo, a stilt? 

That was right, they literally walked across the courtyard and with Zuko’s aid they managed to reach the wall, what now? 

They couldn’t walk over the wall, the only way across would be to catapult— oh no. 

Unfortunately for Zuko, he was right, and he found himself projected over the wall and across the 3rd courtyard. 

Even thought the Avatar managed to catch most of Zuko’s fall he still landed with an oof, they were in front of the final gate. 

The feeling of fire sparking made Zuko instinctively shoot up and push the Avatar behind him, Dao held in position.

“Hold your fire!” A disgustingly familiar voice yelled, “The Avatar must be captured alive!” 

Zhao...

With that said Zuko (thought he wished it hadn’t come to this) whipped around and held his swords against the Avatar’s throat. 

He could feel the boy’s hyper heartbeat from his position, Zuko almost wished he could tell the boy that it was alright.

The silence that followed was almost painful and Zuko tried to predict the expression on Zhao’s face. 

Finally Zhao growled, “Open the gate.”

Relief flooded Zuko along with a new tension as he slowly but surely backed himself and the Avatar out of the prison and across the bridge. 

Behind him, maybe a 100 feet Zuko could hear and faintly smell the forest, they’d be safe once they got there!

He was almost filled with hope for escape when Zuko sensed lt.

A fast moving heat signature approaching his face.

And then with it’s unavoidable collision with his head Zuko was struck into unconsciousness and his fate was left to Agni.

*  
When Zuko came to consciousness he immediately sensed the heat presence on the ground around him and sitting next to him. 

A person? 

The Avatar! 

Had he taken the mask off?! 

Did he know?! 

Zuko tried to contain his panic but the Avatar apparently noticed his consciousness and panic, “Don’t worry, I didn’t look.”

Relief rushed over Zuko but confusion soon took over, why wouldn’t he take it off?

The Avatar answered the silent question, “In Air Nation culture we were taught to respect people’s hair or face coverings. Thanks for saving me, I was really scared.”

Zuko nodded in acknowledgment but stayed silent, what would he say anyways? 

“My name’s Aang! What’s yours?” The boy kindly asked, once again Zuko uncomfortably didnt respond.

“Why did you help me?” Aang, no, the Avatar asked curiously and patiently, “I know it wasn’t easy getting me out, you must want something.”

Zuko shook his head, technically he should want the capture the boy and take him to the Firelord but at the moment all Zuko wanted to do was rest. 

He’d completed his mission of freeing the Avatar (for his later capture) he could rest for now, right?

“Can you talk?” The boy asked. 

Zuko shook his head, he couldn’t talk, not without giving himself away. 

“Oh,” The Avatar murmured, “That’s ok! As long as you can write!” 

Then the boy smoothed out the dirt on the ground in front of them and began writing in a dialect he guessed was from the Air Nation based on the heat signature the boy’s finger left.

Zuko recognized a few of the characters he’d learned from his time at the Air Temples, without thinking he brought his finger to the Earth and traced the character for a greeting in response to the boy’s own greeting. 

He didn’t realize his mistake until the body next to him almost heated up with excitement. 

“You know Air Nation characters!” The Avatar cheered in excitement and shock, “Are you from the Air Nation?! I haven’t met someone familiar with our culture since I left the iceberg!”

The boy’s excitement made Zuko shift uncomfortably, for such a small boy he seemed to radiate heat. 

He tried to think of how to respond, he didn’t know enough Air Nation characters to give a worthy excuse and he couldn’t use Fire Nation characters for obvious reasons so he thought back to his years in Earth Nation ports and scribbled his response to the boy’s questions. 

‘I’m not Air Nation, I was a explorer for sometime and I traveled to many of the Air Temples, sorry.’

The boy took a minute to translate and Zuko was beginning to wonder if the boy could even read Earth Nation when he responded, “Don’t apologize, I’m just glad that there’s someone besides me that carries Air Nation culture with them, when I woke up and everyone was gone I couldn’t take it.”

Zuko couldn’t relate completely per se but he could understand the feeling of something being gone forever. 

“It’s been 100 years since I’ve been awake and everything I’d known has changed, the Fire Nation is bad now.”

Zuko felt something flare up in his chest at the adjective, it wasn’t anger or patriotism, it was a instinct. 

He couldn’t speak he knew that, instead he instinctively scribbled a agitated response about how the Fire Nation wasn’t bad, it was great and once it conquered the Earth Kingdom it would be the greatest nation ever and—wait—why was that his instinct? 

Wait what was he thinking, he was a prince of the Fire Nation, of course he instinctively protected his Nation with his honor!...

But the last time he protected some with his honor he... they...

“I’m sorry, I can’t read Fire Nation characters too well.” The boy next to him said apologetically. 

Dang it! 

He’d been so invested in his protesting that he’d written in Fire Nation characters!

“Have you been to the Fire Nation before?” The boy asked. 

Agni help him. 

Zuko gave a confirming nod. 

The Avatar continued, “Are you from the Fire Nation?”

He couldn’t answer that question, he shouldn’t answer that question, but then again he shouldn’t be sitting with the Avatar, much less after freeing him from a Fire Nation prison. 

“It’s okay if you are, my best friend Kuzon was from the Fire Nation.” The boy chimed in to Zuko’s thoughts, “People from the Fire Nation were so good. It’s almost impossible for me to believe what their nation turned into. So are you Fire Nation?”

Zuko, slightly shocked by the boy’s words could only nod, the Avatar’s heat signature almost increased like a fueling breeze on a fire, he was happy? 

“That’s so cool! I haven’t had a official ally from the Fire Nation yet!” The boy beamed, then more seriously said, “Thank you for helping me even though it goes against your Nation, I can’t imagine how hard it would be.”

When the boy’s words were taken in Zuko found himself fueled with a new found panic, going against his nation, oh Agni, he’d committed treason!

Zuko hadn’t meant to commit treason! 

Or at least be caught committing treason! 

Oh Agni, what would he do?!

There would definitely be wanted posters for him when Zhao notified the world of the Blue Spirit, the enemy of the Fire Nation!

He must have started hyperventilating because the boy was suddenly next to him speaking calmly, “Hey, it’s ok. You can come with me if you’d like, you’d be safe with us.”

The words were so comforting but so hurtful at the same time, the boy would never talk that sweetly if he knew who Zuko was. 

Zuko shook his head and stood up, the boy stood with him and Zuko could feel his questioning gaze. 

Zuko offered a bow in farewell and to began hurriedly walk, shooting burst of heat into the Earth with each step to make sure he didn't run into anything. 

“Where are you going?!” The Avatar called after him, 

Zuko turned back slightly and, recalling his time reading a scroll on Air Nation customs, gave the boy a traditional bow of farewell, a Air Nation bow, it felt like he’d committed even more treason by using it. 

Though Zuko was far away he could sense the flare of happiness that the Avatar felt, “Thank you, be safe!” 

He was another step away when the Avatar suddenly yelled to himself, “Frogs! I need to find frogs!” 

And then with a breeze of air the Avatar was gone, the remnant of his heat fading quickly as well. 

All right, mission accomplished, if he ignored all the treason. 

As Zuko crept back onto the boat and into his room he’d only just tucked his mask away when he sensed Uncle Iroh’s heat and his door was being opened, “Prince Zuko! Where have you been? It’s been hours!” 

Zuko put on one of his simple silk masks (which covered only above his nose) and turned to his Uncle, “I’m fine Uncle, just taking some time to myself, trying to relax.”

Though he couldn’t see him Zuko knew that Uncle was raising his eyebrows, but he let it go, “Alright Zuko, next time you need to relax perhaps let me know in advance.”

As Uncle stepped towards the door he said, “Make sure you aren’t caught with those swords Prince Zuko.”

Oh Agni he still had his swords strapped across his back, “Got it Uncle.”

When Uncle left Zuko hung the swords innocently on the wall, what a nice decoration, if only Zuko could see if it matched the rest of the room!

Zuko snorted and plopped onto his bed, Zhao wouldn’t be going into his room anytime soon so they were fine where they were. 

As he waited for slumber to take over Zuko recalled what the Avatar had said, he’d been friends with a boy from the Fire Nation and had seen the good in them, so why was the Avatar trying to stop the Fire Nation’s growth? 

That’s what the war was right?

Growth?

The Avatar had been friends with a boy from the Fire Nation 100 years ago and Zuko couldn’t help but wonder if in a different world they could’ve been friends as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Zuko was meditating in his room when he sensed it, a large heat signature approaching quickly. 

“Uncle!” He called as he ran up the stairs to the deck, “Something’s coming!”

Just as the words left his mouth there was a hissing mass of heat on the deck and screams from the crew. 

Zuko backed up and tried to visualize the creature on his ship, it was perhaps the size of the Sky Bison with a whipping tongue and a forever snuffling nose, what was it?

Then he noticed it, a person was riding it! 

“Who are you?!” Zuko demanded the rider, sensing as the creature grabbed someone with its tongue, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

Zuko couldn’t see the rider but he knew she was trouble as soon as she opened her mouth. 

“The name’s June and you must be blind if you didn’t notice the stowaway Nyla caught.” The woman joked with what Zuko could invision as a infuriating smile. 

Wow, what a ironic insult.

The sound of snuffling got closer and Zuko took a step back in suprise as the creature holding the stowaway with its tongue pressed near him with curious sniffing. 

“Keep your animal away from me!” Zuko ordered exasperatedly as he backed from the continuously approaching creature. 

The woman immediately defended her companion, “Nyla is not a thing, he is a shirshu! And he really likes you for some reason.” 

Zuko pursed his lips, he didn’t normally mind animals but based on what he sensed the creature do he wasn’t sure if he wanted it near him. 

“As long as he doesn’t lick you you won’t get paralyzed, Nyla can control himself, he won’t stop bothering you until you give him attention.” The woman reassured boredly. 

“Whatever.” Zuko muttered as he reluctantly held out a hand to the animal.

He pat its head as Uncle Iroh approached his side. 

“Are you a bounty hunter?” Uncle asked the woman.

“Yep, the best around,” She boasted, “Nyla here can track anything or anyone down with just a scent.”

That caught Zuko’s attention, “Could we hire you after you turn in your bounty?”

She said nothing but Zuko could feel her sizing him up, “Fine. Just because Nyla likes you. I’ll be back at dawn, I want a large payment,” 

And then with a crack of what Zuko guessed was a whip Nyla pulled away from his hand and leaped off the ship leaving only a remnant of his great heat. 

“This should be interesting.” Uncle Iroh murmured. 

“Indeed Uncle.” He agreed. 

*

Zuko almost felt bad as he held the Water Tribe girl’s necklace in his grip, he pushed down the feeling and held it out to Nyla. 

The shirshu sniffed it deeply and June quickly said, “Climb on.” 

Zuko and Uncle Iroh climbed into the saddle and then Nyla was off, sniffing loudly and moving faster than Zuko’s senses could catch up to.

At one point Zuko gave up trying to sense the heat passing him and rested his mind, preparing for his first confrontation with the Avatar since he broke him out of prison as the Blue Spirit. 

He was broken out of his trance when June yelled, “There! We found the scent!” 

Zuko was immediately at attention as Nyla came to a stop and he jumped out of the saddle to sense the two familiar heat signature of the Water Tribe kids, no Avatar. 

“So this is your girlfriend.” June said as she held her whip at the ready, “No wonder she left, she’s way too pretty for you.” 

So apparently the Water Tribe girl was pretty, and he hadn’t thought about his appearance for a long time but apparently he wasn’t.

If Zuko had eyes still he’d roll them, instead he huffed and approached the two heat figures, “Where is the Avatar?”

“We split up,” The Water Tribe boy answered, “He’s long gone.”

“How stupid do you think I am?!” He snorted. 

“Pretty stupid.” The boy responded. 

Oh Agni, two personal attacks in one minute? 

Zuko couldn’t help the laugh he huffed out before he raised his hands to attack the two. 

“Run!” The boy yelled and they made it 10 feet before Nyla’s tongue lashed out and paralyzed them. 

“What are we supposed to do now?” Zuko muttered to himself. 

Apparently June heard him because she responded, “We need to find another scent, one with your bounty’s recent contact. 

Zuko tried to visualize what was happening as Nyla snuffled at the Water Tribe kids’ prone forms before June called out, “Got it, grab them and lets go!” 

Zuko, suddenly filled with adrenaline, rushed over and scooped up the limp Water Tribe kids over each shoulder and laid them along the back of the saddle. 

With a crack of June’s whip Nyla followed the Avatar’s scent at full speed and Zuko did all he could to keep the Water Tribe kids from jerking too much. 

They’d been running for a minute when June yelled out, “Brace yourselves!” 

And Zuko only had a second to pin down the Water Tribe kids before Nyla burst through a gate and the sound of screams filled his ears. 

Then Nyla suddenly slowed down and began circling, sniffing nonstop. 

“What’s he doing?” Zuko asked June. 

But before she could answer a small heat signature from the air flew towards them and toppled Nyla over as he came up on his hind legs to defend his rider. 

They fell off and Zuko did the best he could to keep Uncle and the paralyzed kids from hurting themselves. 

“Aang!” The girl said hopefully. 

So the heat signature in the sky was the Avatar, that made sense. 

“Up!” June yelled with a crack of her whip, Nyla jumped to her feet and Zuko sensed them run off towards the Avatar. 

Zuko tried to pull himself together to help but before he could get to his feet another large heat signature approached Nyla and knocked Nyla and June off their beeline towards the Avatar. 

It was the Skybison, the bison let out a bellow of fury, attention only on Nyla and June. 

Fine then, it was his turn with the Avatar. 

On his feet he approached the Avatar with flaring hands, warming his palms to leave heat signatures everywhere he could. 

The boy stood at the ready, holding his staff defensively, he wasn’t going to attack first? 

Fine, Zuko would.

And with a battle yell Zuko shot a wave of fire at the Avatar, he sensed as the boy spun his staff to stifle the flames and responded with a gust of wind. 

Zuko stepped to the side as the notably hot air missed him barely, he shot blast after blast of fire at the boy, trying to push away the memory of writing messages to him. 

The Avatar was quick, always a half step ahead of Zuko. 

Zuko attacked with a series of swipes and kicks, they were fighting in close range and the tensions were high. 

He ducked a certain way to avoid a gust of air and was suprised when not even a minute later the Avatar copied his move to avoid Zuko’s fire. 

Ugh, this was getting nowhere!

With a yell he shot fire at the boy with all he had, and the Avatar responded with his own blast of air, the resulting explosion shot Zuko into the air and onto his back on a roof. 

He took a moment to focus on what was going on around him, Nyla and the Skybison were still fighting, Zuko could sense the many lashes of Nyla’s tongue the bison was hit with, but he barely seemed to respond. 

Zuko decided to focus on the Avatar for now and located his heat on the roof across from him, Zuko sensed the boy come back to attention as he charged at him with his flames ready. 

The boy was suddenly high in the air and Zuko for a horrible moment couldn’t sense where he was, similar to his Agni Kai with Zhao, but then the boy was on the other side of him and was firing a rush of air at Zuko. 

Zuko got a few attack in before the boy shot wind with him and Zuko was thrown backwards and into the building again 

The crack to the head hurt but he was still able to jump out of the Avatar’s follow up attack and jump off the roof, Zuko heard Nyla attack the Avatar then and did his best to track him down despite the heat surrounding them. 

There!

Zuko shot wave after wave of fire after him and he soon found himself attacking the Avatar while circling a well, each of his blasts were dodged and in his one moment of defense the Avatar said, “You have something I want!” 

What was he talking about?

Zuko didn’t have any—

Oh, the necklace. 

The boy then jumped across the well towards Zuko and Zuko punched flames at him with all he had, up, down, to the right, to the left, he just kept dodging!

With a yell of frustration Zuko picked the decorative top off the well and found himself fighting the Avatar atop of the well, a battle of balance and coordination. 

They kicked and punched and blasted their respective element at each other before the Avatar was still for a moment on the other side of the well and Zuko instinctively Lept for him, only for the boy to jump overhead and with the necklace in his hand. 

Zuko turned and sensed him fall... into the well? 

He rushed up to it to... shoot fire down it?... See if the boy was ok?

But the moment he glanced into the well a blast of water shot from the well and shot Zuko high into the air, the open and empty air. 

It was a high fall and when Zuko hit the ground all the air was knocked out of him, but he pushed himself to his feet and began approaching the boy, only for a familiar bellow of the bison to leave Zuko backing up for his own good. 

The familiar heat signature of Nyla’s tongue came to his defense though and the bison soon collapsed paralyzed. 

Then Zuko, June, and Nyla had the boy pinned against the wall, running back and forth to avoid his fire and Nyla’s tongue. 

But then he sensed the sun being blocked, what was—?

And then a wave of liquid, not water, fell ontop of them.

Zuko’s nose was filled with hundreds of smells at once, it was awful, if it was awful for him then Nyla—

His thought were cut off by the shirshu’s tongue striking him and his body collapsing completely out of his control. 

Zuko did his best to know what was happening around him, June was also struck and Uncle pretended to be as well before Nyla let out a howl and barreled out of the gate and out of his radar. 

He laid there and willed himself to move as the Avatar and the Water Tribe kids stood over him. 

Zuko couldn’t talk but he let out a angry sound in his throat as he sensed the Water Tribe boy reach his hand out towards his face. 

“Stop!” The Avatar protested, making the other boy pull his hand back. 

“But I wanna see what’s under here! He’s been tormenting us for months, aren’t you curious?” The Water Tribe boy tried to argue. 

“No Sokka,” The Avatar said firmly, “Face and head coverings should only be removed by the wearer, otherwise your violating their right to self.” 

The words sounded rehearsed, like the boy had learned them in school... oh... the Air Temple. 

Sokka sighed, “Fine... I just wanted to see—“

“Sokka,” Interrupted the Water Tribe girl, “Stop it, let’s get out of here.”

Then Zuko was left to stew over what had just happened as the Avatar escaped from him once again. 

*

The Avatar and the Water Tribe kids were long gone when Zuko was able to move again, that didn’t mean it didn’t ache though. 

He slowly rose to his feet and help Uncle (he was so lazy sometimes) and June to their feet, they left the town as quickly as possible as the towns people began to be further agitated by their presence. 

June was uncharacteristically quiet as Zuko helped her walk out of the gate, “Are you alright?”

“No,” She responded, “I’ve lost Nyla.”

Zuko set her down when they were a good distance from the town, “Don’t worry, I’ll look for him while you recover.”

The woman nodded and Zuko turned and walked the direction he recalled Nyla running. 

Did he know where Nyla was? 

No. 

But was he plenty motivated to find him?

Yes. 

So Zuko trudged through the woods and eventually he located Nyla shaped footprints (still holding his heat). 

He stopped for a moment when he found a river to rinse the hundreds of different perfumes out of his hair and off his armor, even reluctantly his cloth mask, he didn’t want to make Nyla recall what had happened before. 

Speaking of his mask what had happened before the Avatar left still befuddled him. 

Zuko could understand his respect of Zuko wearing the Blue Spirit mask after he’d saved him from a high security prison, but why did he respect his mask after he’d defeated him as the enemy? When he’d been quite literally defenseless under him?

Zuko just couldn’t understand. 

Nevermind that, he had to focus on finding Nyla

Once again finding the footprints, Zuko followed them until he heard a familiar sniffing, frantic and loud sniffing. 

“Nyla?” He called quietly, Nyla’s sense of smell was already harmed enough, he didn’t want to harm any other sense. 

He approached the writhing shirshu and instead of touching him sat on the rock next to him. 

“Hey boy,” He said, trying to copy the endearing way the Avatar always talks to his bison, “Are you alright? It’s pretty awful what happened to you back there.”

The shirshu obviously didn’t understand or respond to his question but his attention was on Zuko and his breathing was seeming to calm down. 

Zuko continued his rambling, “June is really worried about you, don’t worry she doesn’t hold anything against you, they definitely played dirty by going for your sense of smell.”

The words seemed to resonate with Zuko as he said them though because he found himself picking at his scar, a nervous habit. 

He immediately stopped and relocated Nyla only to find him right in front of Zuko. 

“Hey Nyla,” He said gently, “Can I pet you?”

Zuko reached his hand out to the shirshu and when Nyla snuffled in and curled up in front of Zuko he brought his hand to his corse fur. 

“There, there, you did such a good job,” Zuko gently murmured, “You work so hard and I’m so grateful for your help.”

After probably half and hour of patting, scratching, and petting the calm beast Zuko said, “Let’s get up now, I want to wash the perfume off of you.”

Nyla seemed to excitedly follow him as he made his way towards the river and was more than happy to let Zuko pet him as he soaked in the water. 

When Nyla was mostly scent free Zuko made him get out of the water and did his best to warm the wet shirshu with his hands, “There, nice and clean.”

“Let’s go back to June, I’m sure she misses you.” Zuko said as they returned to Nyla’s original foot prints.

The walk back was pleasant and filled with Nyla gabbing his nose into Zuko constantly. 

Only when they arrived at the camp and Nyla gabbed him in the neck did Zuko ask, “Why do you keep doing that?!” 

“Nyla!” June yelled excitedly as she ran towards them, she embraced her companion with a laugh. 

Only after a long moment of hugging did June answer Zuko’s question, “He really likes you, he’d trying to find your scent, usually it’d be in your hair but you’re kind of lacking in that department.”

Any other night Zuko would’ve been annoyed by the sarcasm but at that moment he could hardly care, “Got it.”

Deciding to leave the two to their reunion Zuko approached the fire where he knew Uncle was sitting and plopped down next to the man. 

“The shirshu is very fond of you.” Uncle Iroh said pleasantly, “I recall that as a child you were very good with animals.” 

Zuko didn’t want to think about the past, “Whatever, he just likes me because I pet him.”

“Perhaps, Nyla is quite intimidating, you’d have to be quite brave to pet him.” Uncle countered. 

Zuko thought of Nyla nudging him with his nose and snuffling in excitement when Zuko got into the river with him, “No, Nyla’s not intimidating at all, he’d just big.”

“Well, he’s quite the creature, shirshu aren’t commonly domesticated.” Uncle continued. 

Zuko nodded, “Well I recon we’re the same, not quite the lookers but loyal when it really comes down to it.”

“You’re a handsome young man Zuko, don’t listen to what anyone says,” Uncle protested then he lamented, “Nyla is loyal to June, who are you loyal to?”

“The Fire Nation.” Zuko said instinctively, but then he recalled his treason not even a week ago, “The Firelord?”

Uncle seemed to think about this, “The Fire Nation and the Firelord are not a singular thing, you can choose to be loyal to only one.”

Zuko was going to respond when June and Nyla approached the fire. 

“Done crying?” Zuko asked. 

He could sense her face heat up, “Shut up, thank you for finding him.”

“Of course.” Zuko responded. 

They sat around the fire and rested after the day’s fight until Zuko remembered, “We have your payment on the ship.”

June made a surprised sound, “I didn’t catch your bounty so I don’t get paid.”

“Then take the payment to get Nyla a good bath to get rid off all the smells, I tried my best but he still smells strongly.” He immediately retorted. 

June seemed to be speechless. 

“We’ll get your payment in the morning, thank you for your help June.” Zuko said as he laid on his side. 

He was exhausted and it didn’t take him long to slip into a meditative state, not sleeping but not awake, considering the events and surprises of the day.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been the most calm Zuko had been in weeks when Zhao once again came along to ruin it. 

They’d been off the Avatar’s trail for weeks and after a painful farewell to Nyla (and June Zuko supposed) they’d found that the few hour the Avatar had gotten as a head start had been more disaster out than Zuko expected. 

Zuko unfortunately had a lot of free time and spent most of it sword fighting or fire bending but Uncle had forced him to take a break and that’s how Zuko found himself in the position he was in now. 

He was sitting cross legged on the deck of his ship with a gift from Uncle in his hands, a fire lily candle. 

The flame flickered healthily as Zuko focused all his energy on fueling it. 

He took a deep breath of fire lillies, home, mother, warmth, safety, and then exhaled it out. 

This was the best gift (And one of the only gifts) Zuko had ever received/accepted in the past few years with Uncle. 

The customized candle had been so heartfelt and endearing that Zuko couldn’t help but accept the small piece of home. 

Zuko was in peace for the first time in a while. 

The sound of approaching armored footsteps snapped Zuko out if it. 

Zuko jumped to his feet as soldiers began to board his ship, the main signature leading the others unfortunately familiar. 

“Get off my ship Zhao!” Zuko demanded, approaching the proud figure. 

“That’s General Zhao to you Zuko.” The man corrected with a sneer. 

Zuko wouldn’t take this disrespect, “Prince!”

“No Zuko,” Zhao countered with a chuckle, “You aren’t a prince, you aren’t royalty even. You’re not a captain or a leader. You don’t deserve respect or a title. You’ve dishonored yourself and dishonored your Firelord. You are nothing! Not a prince! Not a Fire Nation Citizen! Not honored! Not a Fire-Bender! Not even worth anything to the Fire Lord!”

Zuko was shocked into silence as his brain tried and failed to comprehend what was true and false about what Zhao said. 

He was right about many things, Zuko dishonored himself and the Fire lord, he’d been disrespectful and was banished from the Fire Nation, he was a failure of a Fire-bender and son, he was worthless to the Fire Lord. 

Zuko wasn’t a prince, princes were useful. 

They were powerful, honorable, brave, strong, cruel. 

Zuko wasn’t a prince. 

Zhao was right, he was nothing. 

“What is happening here?” Uncle Iroh’s voice broke through Zuko’s revelation. 

“Not much Iroh,” Zhao answered, “Just telling Zuko his standing with the Fire Lord.”

Zuko stayed silent even as he felt Uncle turn to him questioningly. 

“That’s General Iroh to you Zhao, we’re equals now. Now please leave our ship, we’re busy with our mission.” Uncle Iroh responded. 

Zhao’s counter suprised everyone on the ship, “Not anymore. The mission of capturing the Avatar and conquering the Northern Water Tribe has been transfered to me, the Fire Lord has finally realized your incompetence and has decided to do something about it.”

“I get your mission, information, and your crew.” Zhao continued as Zuko felt horror grow in his chest. 

Then Zhao turned to the soldiers behind him, “Take the crew and anything of value.” 

All at once the 50 guards were boarding the ship and flooding Zuko’s senses with their heat, making him, for the first time in a very long time, blind. 

He felt Zhao’s hand grab his face, “I’ve waited for this moment for so long, I wish you could see it.”

“You unhand him this instant!” Uncle demanded as he slapped Zhao’s hand away from Zuko’s disgusting feeling face. 

“No matter, I’ll be rid of you both momentarily.” Zhao said nonchalantly.

Then he walked past the two and made for the stairs that would take him below deck. 

Uncle grabbed Zuko’s arm making him jump, “Are you alright nephew?” 

Zuko nodded before a terrible thought came to him, “He may see the swords Uncle.”

He felt his Uncle’s inhale of breath and knew that they were both in danger at this point, Zuko needed to protect Uncle. 

Zuko determinedly rushed below deck and towards his quarters to grow queasy at the heat signature he sensed in the room. 

“You have some very interesting decor in your room Zuko, very well made Dao swords I’ll say, where’d you get them from.” Zhao said, almost teasingly. 

“They’re a gift, I’m unable to use them though, due to my-my state.” Zuko explained cooly as his heart throbbed in his chest. 

“Well, I supposed you won’t mind me taking them then.” Zhao said gleefully as Zuko heard them being taken off the wall. 

He wanted to hiss and scream but Zuko stayed silent as one of his few treasured possessions were taken by the man he loathed most, “Fine, you’re taking everything anyways.” 

“That’s right Zuko.” Zhao said demeaningly, “You have nothing.”

When Zhao left for once the ship Zuko had lived on for so long felt truly like the prison it was, empty, silent, and cold besides Uncle’s heat signature next to him. 

His candle was gone. 

Zuko recalled the countless remarks Zhao had poisoned him with, they were all painfully true, all but the one about his loyalty. 

“Uncle, I’m going to prove him and the Fire Lord wrong.” Zuko swore with trembling clenched fists. 

Uncle responded by saying, “Nephew, they are not worth your effort, it may be better if we—“

“So you think I’m nothing too?!” Zuko said as he felt the terrible emotions of the day bubble over, “Do you finally see me as the burden I am?!” 

Uncle embraced him tightly and emphasized, “You are no burden Zuko, you are one of the most important people in my life and I love you as if you were my own son. The Fire Lord and Zhao are not worthy of your effort Zuko, Prince Zuko.”

Zuko took a moment to digest Uncle’s words before hugging him back and murmuring, “I miss my candle.”


	6. Chapter 6

The night was silent and Zuko was tense. 

Uncle had gone to the night market to purchase something and Zuko was alone on the cold and silent ship. 

He sensed no heat signatures on the boat but he couldn’t calm himself even in his room, his swordless room. 

Zuko was beginning to consider going to the market to search for Uncle when a hiss broke the silence, it was the hiss of lit blasting jelly, but where could?

Zhao. 

With blasts of heat into the ground Zuko bolted with all his might up to the deck and just as he dove off the deck the boat blew up, his home for the past four years was blown into smithereens.

He broke the surface with a gasp and tried to control his breathing, he was fine, he was just a few yards from shore, he didn’t need to freak out.

Zuko took a deep breath and heated the surface of the water, he sensed which direction lead to land, Zuko swam as quickly and calmly as he could while on the verge of panic and then pulled himself to shore. 

He stood and searched for a hiding spot, someone had tried to kill him and him specifically, they were most likely still around. 

*

Zuko had been hunkering down in his hiding spot for perhaps an hour when he sensed Uncle returning from the market, the sound of his distress at most likely seeing the blown up ship and Zuko’s absence was so painful that Zuko forced himself to not immediately comfort the man, he didn’t know who was watching.

He tried to hold off from running out as long as he could before the sound of Uncle’s sobs grew too painful and he called out as quietly as he could, “Uncle!”

The man immediately turned to the direction of Zuko’s voice and Zuko waved him over, Uncle practically ran to Zuko to embrace him. 

“Some blew the ship up to try to kill me Uncle,” Zuko told the man, “You need to make sure that they think they succeeded.”

Uncle ran a hand gently down Zuko’s back, “Whatever you wish, are you alright?.”

“I’m ok,” Zuko answered after taking a moment to check, “My ears are just ringing a bit.”

That was a understatement, he felt as if the explosion was still fresh in his ears.

“I’m sorry nephew, I should've been here.” Uncle Iroh said. 

Zuko imagined it, trying to push Uncle up the deck and over the edge of the boat when he sensed the heat, failing to get overboard in time, Uncle being burdened one last time by Zuko with his own death. 

I’m glad you weren’t.” Zuko responded. 

* 

It wasn’t long before Zhao came along to recruit Uncle and as they planned Uncle agreed to join in honor of Zuko’s untimely death. 

As planned Zuko stowed away on Zhao’s ship when it left the port and he was almost relieved to see that his crew was in good shape, no one was limping, having a fever, or had diminished heat. 

They were alright. 

From his hiding spot among the supplies (stolen from his ship) Zuko was able to freely hear everything happening on deck. 

The sound of marching armor brought Zhao into his field of senses, Uncle at his side. Zhao seemed to give off a radar of heat, far more than usual, was he ok? Something didn’t feel right. 

The deck was silent as everyone presumably looked at their Captain, waiting for orders. From his hiding spot among the supplies (stolen from his ship) Zuko was able to freely hear everything happening on deck. The sound of marching armor brought Zhao into his field of senses, Uncle at his side. Zhao seemed to give off a radar of heat, far more than usual, was he ok? Something didn’t feel right. The deck was silent as everyone presumably looked at their Captain, waiting for orders. 

“Today,” Zhao started, “Will be a day of victory. A day of . Not only will I be the man to conquer the North Water Tribe, but I will rid this world of the Nation’s spirit and hence be known as Zhao, the Moon Slayer!” The deck was silent, but they were all thinking the same thing, Zhao was mad. 

“Remember this day, for it will be history for years to come! Now ready the ship for attack, I must prepare myself.” Zuko followed Zhao’s heat until it retreated below deck before locating Uncle and calling him over through a surge of heat in the deck. 

He sensed as Uncle discreetly made his way towards Zuko’s hiding spot before the man murmured, “That man is crazy and he needs to go down.” 

“How could he want to kill the Moon Spirit Uncle?” Zuko asked, “The Fire Nation needs them as much as the Water Tribes do!” 

“I know Zuko, I believe Zhao is deranged, he told me that he’s been planning this for years,” Uncle paused to take a quick check that no one was watching before saying, “You need to get out of here Nephew, I believe Zhao is planning to search the ship at one point, and we must protect the Moon Spirit.” Zuko caught on to what he was implying, “You want me to go to shore.” 

“Yes Zuko, I think of you as my own and that’s why I want you to make the right choices, get inside and find the Spirit.” Uncle said gently. “The Avatar is most likely with the spirit, right Uncle?” Zuko asked expectantly, this would work perfectly! 

He could check on the Moon Spirit and then escape with the Avatar, treason forgiven! Uncle sighed, “Most likely, but Zuko, don’t let your search for the Avatar overrule the good of the Nations, the Moon Spirit is vital to each Nation’s way of life.” Zuko felt himself tucking the words into the back of his mind. He could focus on them now, he needed to get the Avatar and then get out. The Avatar wasn’t the boy who heated up with excitement when seeing his written language or respected his face coverings or cared for his companions so much that he’d risk himself for them. The Avatar wasn’t a 12 year old monk boy living as the sole survivor of his people’s genocide, he was— 

“The Avatar is a boy Zuko,” Uncle butted into his thoughts, “Please don’t forget that.” Zuko nodded, “Got it Uncle, now how am I sneaking out of here?” 

* 

The boat was dinky and small and managed to grate on every bruise and scratch he had Despite this Zuko nodded in thanks to the crewmen that helped them and wished Uncle well before pushing off the boat. He rowed as quickly but discreetly as possible sending surges of heat into the paddle and water with every row, there was the shore! When Zuko made it to the icey shore of the Northern Water Tribe he was facing another problem. How was he going to infiltrate it?! He huffed in frustration as he found that there was no way to stay hidden and firebend his way into it. 

“Agni, of course it wasn’t as easy as ‘get the Avatar and get out of there.’” Zuko scoffed at himself. How could he possibly— “ARF!” “What in the—“ It was a animal. A large heated animal with what he sensed as flippers and a powerful frame. 

“ARF,” and a strong set of lungs. This was the Northern Water Tribe and that meant, “A Turtle Seal?” “ARF!” Zuko was getting slightly annoyed with the noise but he found himself filled with hope, turtle seals meant water tunnels. He couldn’t navigate them alone though. 

“ARF!” 

“Hey buddy,” Zuko said as he cautiously approached the large animal and the hole in the ice, “Do you think you could help me out?” 

“ARF!” The creature flopped closer to him, nearly giving him a heart attack. “O-oh!” Zuko said as the turtle seal came up to his side, “I guess I’m a pretty good heating pack, why don’t we help each other out?”

*

This is such a dumb idea. 

This is such a dumb idea. 

This is such a dumb idea. 

This is such a dumb idea. 

This is such a dumb idea.

This is such a dumb idea. 

This is such a dumb idea.

“Ok!” He attempted to hype himself up as he pat the turtle seal on the head, “Let’s do this!” 

Zuko recalled the many miserable training sessions where he’d have his head held under icey water for minutes and then practice Firebending moments after.

He wasn’t alone this time though. 

“ARF!” 

Zuko felt his mouth curve into a smile, “Yeah buddy, arf.”

And then he took a few deep breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth before he filled his lungs as much as he could and dove into the paralyzingly cold water, the turtle seal following excitedly.


	7. Chapter 7

God, he wished he’d doubted himself a bit more. 

Diving underwater with a turtle seal as a guide was not one of his better ideas, in fact it would probably be one of his final bad ideas. 

He focused his attention on heating the water around him as he followed after the turtle seal’s large heat signature, the animal gave off so much heat that Zuko almost felt like he could actually do this. 

Zuko followed after the excitedly swimming animal through a collection of tunnels, if the turtle seal was just playing with him than he was as good as dead now. 

Just as he was begining to consider a desperate attempt to backtrack he sensed it along with a underwater ARF. 

Frantically he clawed to the top of the ice cave to take a strangled gasp of air. 

The turtle seal broke into the air pocket with him, pressing against Zuko’s side and happily said, “ARF.”

“Thank Agni,” He sighed to himself when his lungs felt less strained, “Are we almost there buddy?” 

“ARF.” The turtle seal said excitedly before diving back down. 

“I’m going to take that as a yes.” Zuko decided as he once again took a few deep breathes in and out before gasping all the air he could a following after his travel companion. 

The turtle seal moved quickly, pressed against Zuko’s side, most likely seeking his warmth, which was completely fine with him. While he was a firebender that didn't mean he liked swimming in below freezing water. 

They were perhaps a minute down the tunnel when they entered another cave, Zuko was filled with relief when he sensed the 2nd air pocket, but before he could begin to swim for it a fast approaching seat signature, that wasn’t Buddy, suddenly rushed into his senses. 

He let out a yell of panic, big mistake. 

Zuko desperately swam towards the top of the cave, Agni he was coughing, choking underwater, drowning, dying... but then his turtle seal companion was there, pushing him up towards the air pocket. 

He broke through the surface and coughed violently, whatever suprised him was still down there! 

Oh Agni he—

Another heat signature floated next to his turtle seal companion. 

Zuko pushed himself away from it in panic but a small sound made him stop, “arf?” 

Oh Agni, it was a baby. 

The baby turtle seal rested happily next to the much larger one, letting out snuffles and the occasional grunt. 

He’d been scared half to death by a baby, thank Agni the only witness could only say the word arf. 

Zuko took a moment to catch his breath once again and collect himself, he was about to face who knows what, he can’t afford to be scared of babies. 

When the tiny turtle seal approached him he sighed and held out a warm hand towards it, immediately being engulfed by blubbery, smooth baby turtle seal. 

It let out a happy arf and licked his face, Agni that was disgusting. 

His original turtle seal companion also approached and arfed joyfully, Zuko felt like they were laughing at him. 

“Hardy har har, very funny,” Zuko grumbled, “Let’s get going Buddy, and... Little Buddy?” 

They both arfed in agreement and dove back down, Zuko followed after completing his breathing ritual.

After that it was mostly smooth sailing (swimming?), they stopped at every air pocket there was and Zuko was reluctantly engulfed by turtle seal attention each time. 

They’d been traveling for what Zuko guess to be 1, 2 hours? When he sensed the cold. 

Not cold per se, but lack of heat from above him, it was the city. 

Zuko excitedly swam for the surface, bursting into the open air with a gasp and pulling himself from the turtle seal hole. 

He panted and tried to calm his uncontrollable shivering as Buddy and Little Buddy followed him and flopped on the ice next to him. 

Zuko smiled at the excited noises they made when he pat their heads. 

He looked up at the sky, the stars had shifted, suggesting that he’d been underwater for 2 hours now, he needed to go. 

Zuko refused to acknowledge the rising lump in his throat as he stood and attempted to give the turtle seals his final farewell. 

When he made to walk away they flopped after him, curious where he was leading them. 

“No you guys!” He painfully protested, “You need to go back, I need to find the Avatar and protect the Moon Spirit or whatever.”

The turtle seals, obviously not understanding the reason in his argument let out complaining groans. 

“Please, the Moon Spirit protects everyone, everyone is in danger, you’re in danger!” He argued with the turtle seals. 

“Now go, please!” Zuko plead as he tried pushing the massive mammals back to the hole, “I’m doing this for everyone, for you!” 

And while they didn’t understand human dialect, much less Fire Nation, the turtle seals seemed to understand that they were no longer welcome. 

“ARF!” Buddy bid in farewell with a final lick to Zuko’s face.

“arf!” Little Buddy added, gifting Zuko with a lick and snuffle to the hand. 

They dove back into the water and Zuko sensed them swim down. 

Zuko couldn’t deny the lump throbbing in his throat as he sensed them hesitate near the surface for a few moment, as if waiting to see if Zuko would change his mind, before diving down and out of Zuko’s field of sense. 

If Zuko had functioning eyes still he’s sure that he would be embarrassingly crying right then. 

Instead he slapped his numb cheeks and reset his now dried mask on his face. 

He remembered what he’d said when trying argue with his now absent companions, ‘The Moon Spirit protects everyone, everyone is in danger, you’re in danger.’

Agni, Uncle was once again right, he had to protect the Moon Spirit. 

Zuko let out a gentle burst of heat, not trying to melt the city, and kept his hand on the wall. 

He was moving, aimlessly sure, but he was moving. 

Zuko was begining to consider question his instincts when he sensed it, hot heat, in the middle of the Northern Water Tribe?

He followed the heat now, there was no where that a hot core in the middle of a ice city meant absolutely nothing, whatever the heated place held was important. 

His senses brought him to a door, he pressed his hands against it, the door was warm. 

With a grunt he twisted the door open, a hot breeze left him toasty and involuntarily relieved, he’d made it.


End file.
